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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23346880">Plum Trees</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tethys_resort/pseuds/Tethys_resort'>Tethys_resort</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blackmail, F/M, Fluff, Games, Gardens &amp; Gardening, M/M, Nudity, Romance, Spring</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:15:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,201</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23346880</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tethys_resort/pseuds/Tethys_resort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which poor decisions are made by Glorfindel and Erestor.  There are consequences. (Yet another story that started out as smut but morphed somewhere along the way.  This seems to be a habit...)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Celeborn/Galadriel | Artanis, Celebrían/Elrond Peredhel, Erestor/Glorfindel (Tolkien)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Plum Trees</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Trigger warnings: blackmail, sex is mentioned but never actually committed, nudity</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the hands came out from behind the arch and dragged him right over the low balustrade, Glorfindel had to admit that even in long formal robes Erestor is much stealthier than he is.  Glorfindel was good at silent but he carried too much raw power to be particularly stealthy.  Tackling his mate was always an option though.  His thin, wiry mate is faster than him, but not as strong. </p>
<p>The play fight would be his win if he got a good grip. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, Erestor knew that as well as he did and had whirled away in a cloud of formal robes.  Glorfindel’s landing on the wood patio decking was face first, relatively ungraceful and punctuated by Erestor’s quiet giggles. </p>
<p>He rolled onto his back and grinned.  “You win.”</p>
<p>Erestor sat down next to him, leaning over to plant a light peck of a kiss on his lips.  “Were you even trying?”</p>
<p>“You have to admit, when win or lose, when the game always ends in us having sex it is hard to find reasons to get away effectively.”  He sat up and dusted his robes into a semblance of order before reaching out to pull Erestor into his chest.  Erestor tilted his head up and obediently opened his mouth to Glorfindel’s kiss.  </p>
<p>The kiss deepened and Glorfindel began to pull at Erestor’s robes.  Erestor pulled back a little and said down their bond, <em>“We should go to our rooms, Elrond moved the private ruler’s meeting for this afternoon to this wing because the plums in these courtyards are blooming.”</em> </p>
<p><em>“And I was visualizing ravishing you in the gardens…  It’s almost dinner, don’t you think they’d go down to the corner courtyard on the way to dinner if they were going to watch flowers?”</em>  The corner courtyard was a large park, packed with blooming flowers of every sort, even this early in the year.  Glorfindel pulled Erestor farther into the garden and into the shadow of the single plum tree next to the little trickling waterfall and its boulder lined stream. </p>
<p>Once there, he rapidly stripped, hanging his formal robes on the thin branch of a pine tree.  He hated formal robes and after a week of diplomacy was beginning to lose patience with them.</p>
<p>Beside him, Erestor started undressing as he muttered, “Cirdan and Thranduil’s diplomats are one thing, but the ones from the far southern coast are just insufferable.”  As he pulled off his tunic he continued down their bond, <em>“I was glad we had decided on a tour of the greenhouses and storage caverns this afternoon.  If that Teleri idiot had insinuated again that I was too low born to be a leader of the trade talks I might have to insinuate that his mother had been copulating with frogs to produce such a face.”</em></p>
<p>Glorfindel snickered before pulling Erestor down into the soft groundcover.  <em>“How long before we need to be at dinner?”</em>  Tonight was yet another formal dinner.  Glorfindel could tell his lovely mate was eager for the distraction from the stress of a full week of meetings, formal dinners and long evening entertainments of varying actual interest. </p>
<p><em>“We have a little time.  When I left, Thranduil was talking about that trade agreement he just made with the Men to the southeast.”</em>  Erestor climbed eagerly on top of him, hands groping for warm skin.  The explanation ended with a groan as Glorfindel’s hands rubbed down his sides and his mouth nibbled down Erestor’s neck.  Erestor gasped and curled closer. </p>
<p>Glorfindel rolled Erestor to lie sprawled on the soft turf and followed him over.</p>
<p>His hands were full and his mouth working its way down Erestor’s belly when he heard Elrond’s voice carry down the hall.  “Down here at the end is the prettiest courtyard in the wing.  It only has one plum tree but the view is perfect when it blooms because it overhangs the pond.”</p>
<p>The various rulers of the elven territories filed obediently out into the garden, admiring the soft thyme that made up the turf between the stepping stones, the ferns, the little pines growing in the rocks.  And of course the plum tree in full and glorious bloom over the waterfall and pond. </p>
<p>Squished under the waterfall, Glorfindel listened to them walking about and tried to think himself invisible.  The water was very cold.  He could feel Erestor’s heart pounding where they were smashed together.  The largish rock nearest the waterfall had been their best chance for cover.  The sheltered garden was far too small.</p>
<p>Maybe they could slip down the little outlet creek, behind the rocks, to the next courtyard?  <em>“Do you think we could slip downstream without them noticing?”</em></p>
<p>Erestor glanced up from his hiding place.  <em>“No.  Lady Galadriel is waving at us.”</em></p>
<p>Glorfindel looked up.  Erestor was correct, Lady Galadriel was standing up on the rock next to the waterfall, peering down at them.  He wasn’t sure what the appropriate response was: any minute now, the rest of the diplomats in the party would notice them too. </p>
<p>Lord Cirdan was walking toward the waterfall pool with his gaze fixed on the overhanging blossoms.  In Glorfindel’s head, Erestor groaned in horror. </p>
<p>Lady Galadriel’s smile was wide and delighted, she waggled her fingers again in farewell before hoping off the rock.  Her colorfully embroidered robes wafted out, making her appear to simply hang in the air.  The graceful swoop and kick as she landed attracted all eyes, and her foot brushed the trunk of the little pine tree next to the pond.  The gentle touch was just enough to knock the robes slithering out of sight into the bushes.  She reached out and tugged Lord Celeborn into a gentle kiss and announced, “I’m hungry, and my son-in-law promised that there are to be berry tarts as the starter for the feast.”</p>
<p>She swept out, head held high, arm in arm with Lord Celeborn. </p>
<p>Attention attracted by Lady Galadriel, the rest of the party trailed back past Elrond and down the arched hallway.  Bemused looking, Elrond followed. </p>
<p>Erestor and Glorfindel stared at each other in wide eyed silence as the conversation and footsteps died away. </p>
<p>They very quietly climbed out, dried off on their leggings and dressed haphazardly.  By silent agreement, they decided to circle the long way around back to their rooms to quickly finish drying off and change.  If they hurried, they could re-braid their hair and make it look as if they had dressed specially for dinner. </p>
<p>Erestor and Glorfindel slipped into the Great Hall, on time and polished enough that Elrond smiled at them.  Celebrian glanced at them and stifled giggles.  Elrond looked at her in puzzlement and she winked before gliding off to her seat between Elrond and Erestor. </p>
<p>Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel sat down across from Erestor and Glorfindel. </p>
<p>One of the servers for the dinner immediately offered Lady Galadriel a choice of wines.  Her glass filled, she sipped and watched as the rest of the High Table was served.  Her expression was serene, with her usual tiny diplomatic smile.  Her voice sounded in Erestor and Glorfindel’s heads, <em>“My Cousin, if you don’t mind, my love and I will eat your shares of the tarts.”</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My family has complained that they are getting confused about where each story fits in the world-timeline.  Is anyone else having this problem?  How shall I fix it?  I could put the order in my bio and update it as needed maybe?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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